Cocoa Man Resentenced To 30 Years In Federal Prison For Producing Child Pornography At Sea World

Orlando, FL - U.S. Chief District Judge Anne C. Conway sentenced Michael Brian Grzybowicz (30, Cocoa) yesterday to 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child by producing child pornography, and a term of 10 years’ imprisonment, to be served concurrently, for possession of child pornography. The Court also sentenced Grzybowicz to a lifetime term of supervision, following his release. A federal jury found Grzybowicz guilty of the charges, as well as distribution of child pornography on January 23, 2012.

On June 28, 2012, U.S. Chief District Judge Anne C. Conway sentenced Grzybowicz to 30 years in federal prison. Grzybowicz appealed the judgment on July 13, 2012. On May 6, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit vacated the conviction on distribution of child pornography and vacated the sentences on all counts. The case was remanded back to the District Court for resentencing.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Grzybowicz went to Sea World with a family, including a 2 year-old girl and a 5 year-old boy, to celebrate the children’s mother’s birthday. While at the park, Grzybowicz was asked by the parents of the children to watch the minor girl and her brother while the parents rode a roller coaster. While the parents were on the roller coaster, Grzybowicz molested the 2 year-old and took explicit photographs of the child, using his cell phone. He emailed those pictures to his personal e-mail address after leaving the park. Two days later, at their Cocoa residence, Grzybowicz's wife found one of the photographs on Grzybowicz's cell phone. She reported the photographs to the Cocoa Police Department. Law enforcement authorities located Grzybowicz's computer, which contained other images of child pornography, including the images he had taken of the child at the theme park. Grzybowicz was arrested after he provided a statement to a police detective.

This case was investigated by the Child Exploitation Task Force for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Cocoa Police Department, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff's Office's Sex Crimes Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Davis Wilson (former) and Christopher LaForgia.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visitwww.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."